My time in Bangkok was an unforgettable time, which also brought me a long way forward professionally.
I spent two trimesters in the College of Management at Mahidol University. This college is especially for the master’s courses in business administration and, unlike the main campus, is located in Bangkok.
Organization before the semester abroad
Application process
With the help of MicroEDU , this was very easy. All you had to do was send the required documents to MicroEDU and they would then register with the Thai University.
A language test is also required. TIP: If your home university offers a DAAD test, you don’t have any extra costs like the TOEFL.
In fact, the confirmation of the registration took a little longer, but that was due to the Thai University. I think that nobody is actually turned down. In the first trimester we were over 50 exchange students. Visit anycountyprivateschools.com to get information about study in Czech Republic.
VISA
The education visa for Thailand is a bit tricky because the rules for it keep changing. The exchange students before me, for example, got a visa for one year in Germany. With me, this was only possible for those who only stayed in Thailand for a trimester.
But if you want to stay two trimesters like me, you have to apply for an extension of your visa in Thailand with a letter from the Thai university to Immigration Office 1 in Bangkok and then you can convert your single entry into a multiple entry. BUT: It’s only worth it if you leave the country more than 4 times.
Organization during the semester abroad
Apartment Search
It is best to look for it on site so that you can look at the rooms again for yourself and, if necessary, bargain a bit on the price.
Many of us stayed at KPN Capital, Casa Condo or Chewathai. However, many new condos have been completed in the area over the past year and this year. Therefore, it is worthwhile to just walk down the streets (also towards the university) and just go into the condos. Most of the time you can reach a realtor or owner. Most of the apartments had a pool, washing machines and a small gym. You can expect 300-400 euros for the apartment. Above and below there are of course options.
Education
The classrooms are, like most rooms in Thailand, strongly air-conditioned. So dress warmer!
Digital marketing
A course where you can actually learn something new. Demand is relatively high. The grade is highly dependent on the performance of your group, as there are only group performances there. For this course we also had to pass the Google Analytics certificate, which then earned additional points. I can only recommend this course.
Strategic Marketing Management / Consumer Behavior
The two courses take place with the same professor. A nice American who talks a lot about marketing and marketing strategies. The exams consist of group presentations, group reports and written exams. You don’t necessarily learn something new here, but good grades are definitely feasible. 😉
Leisure
In Bangkok there is everything your heart desires. Thousands of rooftop bars (tip: Octave Bar), clubs (Celavi), China Town, the infamous Khao San Road, colorful markets such as the Chatuchak Market or a wakeboard park.
There were thousands of ways to spend your free time for every budget. In general, it is definitely worth traveling a lot, as you can reach many countries from Bangkok for little money. Depending on the country, you have to pay attention to whether you need a visa in advance.
DOS
If you have your semester abroad from September to December, then definitely visit the Loy Krathong (Festival of Lights) in Chiang Mai in November. It was a wonderful experience to see all these lighted lanterns in the sky. Be sure to book your flight, bus or hotel in good time, as many travel to the north on this holiday.
If you are in the north, you should also visit the cities of Pai and Chiang Rai. In addition, a visit to one of the elephant sanctuaries is definitely worth it. However, pay attention to whether your provider offers elephant rides or not. You shouldn’t support elephant rides!
If you have your semester abroad from January to April, then take part in the Thai New Year (Songkran). It is definitely the greatest water battle in the world. In Bangkok special streets are blocked off, on which people wet each other with huge water pistols. Even so, you have to be careful on these days that you are not simply delighted with a bucket of water on the streets. If you want to experience a more traditional festival, you can also go to Chiang Mai. It’s a huge party in Bangkok.
DON’Ts
Never pay a fixed price with taxi drivers. Always make sure that the taximeter is switched on. Driving a taxi is super cheap in Bangkok and taxi drivers are legally obliged to turn on the taximeter – NO MATTER WHAT THEY TELL YOU! If the driver doesn’t want to, just take the next one.
All in all, my semester abroad was an incredible time and far too short. I would definitely do it again in Bangkok!
